Scandalous Part 8
It wasn't until after little Rachel's first birthday that Thaddeus Dowling stopped being what Ashtoreth liked to call an insufferable twat. Against Harriet's advice, Maggie and Warlock invited Thaddeus to the birthday party. Seeing a prime opportunity for some good publicity, of course Thaddeus agreed to come as long as at least one reporter was allowed to be in attendance. And one photographer.
"What should I do?" Maggie asked as she watched Ashtoreth rock Rachel.
"It's entirely up to you, dear." Ashtoreth smiled. She was helping Maggie stand up on her thighs and making faces at her. The sound of a baby laughing was one of her favorite sounds.
"He's just using it to make himself look good." Maggie made a face as she looked over the list of other people that would be attending.
"You know, dear. There is a good chance that it could be more than that." Ashtoreth kept her eyes on Rachel to make sure she wouldn't fall down. "There hasn't been a single person that has met this child that hasn't instantly fallen in love with her. Perhaps the same could be said for her grandfather."
"Do you think so?" Maggie said a bit hopefully.
"All you can do is try. If meeting her and holding her doesn't melt his ice cold heart then nothing will and you'll know before she has a chance to get attached to him." Ashtoreth shrugged. Rachel let go of her finger and reached for her necklace which she very quickly tucked under her blouse.
"You're right." Maggie nodded. She made the necessary phone call and agreed to Thaddeus' demands. The day of the party a reporter was there with a photographer in tow. They covered the party and made sure to get plenty of shots of Thaddeus with his granddaughter.
"Maggie, might I have a word with you?" Thaddeus asked as he approached. Ashtoreth immediately got between them.
"That quite depends on what you have to say, Mr Dowling." Ashtoreth said his name like it was an insult.
"It's alright, Nanny. He can talk." Maggie said. She was holding Rachel against her hip, the baby playing with her mother's fingers. Ashtoreth reluctantly stepped aside and let him move a little closer.
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." He sounded genuine. At least she hoped he was.
"For what, exactly?" Maggie raised an eyebrow. He might be apologizing but she wasn't going to make it easy.
"For....behaving the way I have been. I've been a blind idiot. I should have been able to see past your background to the person you really are. Rachel is a wonderful little girl and she's very lucky to have a mother that loves her as much as you do."
"And father." Warlock said as he stepped up beside Maggie.
"Yes, absolutely." Thaddeus nodded. "She couldn't hope for any better parents than you two." Thaddeus nodded again.
"What do you think, Nanny?" Warlock looked at Ashtoreth. "You said you can always tell when someone is lying."
"I can. It's a bit of a gift." Ashtoreth looked at Thaddeus carefully. He squirmed a little bit under her gaze but he didn't back away. "Say it again."
"What?" Thaddeus raised an eyebrow.
"I want you to apologize to them again. I want to get a good look at you as you say it." Ashtoreth really didn't believe that he was sincere. He was a politician after all.
"I'm sorry. To both of you. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. It was stupid and petty and I was wrong." Thaddeus kept his eyes on his son.
"He's not lying." Ashtoreth said with a nod before going over to take Rachel from Maggie. "You three have quite a bit to talk about and this little one is tired." She then made her way into the house.
"What do you think they're saying?" Ezra asked as Ashtoreth brought Rachel into the kitchen. She wanted to get her a bottle to help her sleep.
"I'm not really sure. Someone apologizing for wrongly thinking you don't belong in their world is unfamiliar territory." There was a tiny bit of venom in her words. She cleared her throat, hating that that ancient wound still seemed to be fresh.
"Darling...." Ezra started.
"Don't. It's fine." Ashtoreth cleared her throat. "I'm sure that Thaddeus will be back in the main house by the end of the evening. Depending on Harriet of course." Ashtoreth walked over and gave Ezra and quick kiss on the lips. "Be a dear and make sure there's an extra place for supper."
"Of course." Ezra nodded. He gave Maggie a kiss on the forehead which earned him a giggle from the baby before Ashtoreth took her upstairs to lay her down for a nap. At least the family seemed to be working things out.
"What should I do?" Maggie asked as she watched Ashtoreth rock Rachel.
"It's entirely up to you, dear." Ashtoreth smiled. She was helping Maggie stand up on her thighs and making faces at her. The sound of a baby laughing was one of her favorite sounds.
"He's just using it to make himself look good." Maggie made a face as she looked over the list of other people that would be attending.
"You know, dear. There is a good chance that it could be more than that." Ashtoreth kept her eyes on Rachel to make sure she wouldn't fall down. "There hasn't been a single person that has met this child that hasn't instantly fallen in love with her. Perhaps the same could be said for her grandfather."
"Do you think so?" Maggie said a bit hopefully.
"All you can do is try. If meeting her and holding her doesn't melt his ice cold heart then nothing will and you'll know before she has a chance to get attached to him." Ashtoreth shrugged. Rachel let go of her finger and reached for her necklace which she very quickly tucked under her blouse.
"You're right." Maggie nodded. She made the necessary phone call and agreed to Thaddeus' demands. The day of the party a reporter was there with a photographer in tow. They covered the party and made sure to get plenty of shots of Thaddeus with his granddaughter.
"Maggie, might I have a word with you?" Thaddeus asked as he approached. Ashtoreth immediately got between them.
"That quite depends on what you have to say, Mr Dowling." Ashtoreth said his name like it was an insult.
"It's alright, Nanny. He can talk." Maggie said. She was holding Rachel against her hip, the baby playing with her mother's fingers. Ashtoreth reluctantly stepped aside and let him move a little closer.
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." He sounded genuine. At least she hoped he was.
"For what, exactly?" Maggie raised an eyebrow. He might be apologizing but she wasn't going to make it easy.
"For....behaving the way I have been. I've been a blind idiot. I should have been able to see past your background to the person you really are. Rachel is a wonderful little girl and she's very lucky to have a mother that loves her as much as you do."
"And father." Warlock said as he stepped up beside Maggie.
"Yes, absolutely." Thaddeus nodded. "She couldn't hope for any better parents than you two." Thaddeus nodded again.
"What do you think, Nanny?" Warlock looked at Ashtoreth. "You said you can always tell when someone is lying."
"I can. It's a bit of a gift." Ashtoreth looked at Thaddeus carefully. He squirmed a little bit under her gaze but he didn't back away. "Say it again."
"What?" Thaddeus raised an eyebrow.
"I want you to apologize to them again. I want to get a good look at you as you say it." Ashtoreth really didn't believe that he was sincere. He was a politician after all.
"I'm sorry. To both of you. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. It was stupid and petty and I was wrong." Thaddeus kept his eyes on his son.
"He's not lying." Ashtoreth said with a nod before going over to take Rachel from Maggie. "You three have quite a bit to talk about and this little one is tired." She then made her way into the house.
"What do you think they're saying?" Ezra asked as Ashtoreth brought Rachel into the kitchen. She wanted to get her a bottle to help her sleep.
"I'm not really sure. Someone apologizing for wrongly thinking you don't belong in their world is unfamiliar territory." There was a tiny bit of venom in her words. She cleared her throat, hating that that ancient wound still seemed to be fresh.
"Darling...." Ezra started.
"Don't. It's fine." Ashtoreth cleared her throat. "I'm sure that Thaddeus will be back in the main house by the end of the evening. Depending on Harriet of course." Ashtoreth walked over and gave Ezra and quick kiss on the lips. "Be a dear and make sure there's an extra place for supper."
"Of course." Ezra nodded. He gave Maggie a kiss on the forehead which earned him a giggle from the baby before Ashtoreth took her upstairs to lay her down for a nap. At least the family seemed to be working things out.
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